Rise & shine

Day 1: Our first morning on the claim and we couldn't be happier. Nothing like waking up to a cup of hot coffee and the smell of sweet smoke... Of course in order to make the yummy, hot coffee I had to venture out into 30 degree temps and get a fire going from scratch. If I'm going to be a sweet, functioning human being in the morning I need my coffee so I do cheat a little and heat up the water for our french press with a jetboil. That way I can drink my liquid crack while contending with maintaining the correct cooking temperatures so I don't scorch my eggs. Also, if you like good coffee definitely get yourself a french press. In a matter of minutes you have yourself a cup of perfectly brewed coffee. 

Im in love with my vintage cast iron skillet. I used to watch my grandfather cook breakfast with one but I never thought I would buy one myself. Why would I when I grew up in the Teflon generation. But let me tell you nothing beats a good cast iron skillet. This particular one I found it laying in the dirt, covered in cobwebs and as orange as a pumpkin from all the rust. It has taken me a lot of elbow grease and steel wool to get it looking so good. I finally have it seasoned enough so my eggs fall out on my plate:) This morning I made french toast, fried eggs, and summer sausage. That should keep us going for a little while:) Oh and those metal buckets you see in the foreground, those are our bathwater buckets. We heat those up every night over a fire. It's better than nothing, trust me...

Puppies are in heaven laying in the dirt, waiting on a summer sausage bite or a little french toast nibble to fall their way...

 All geared up and ready to start working. Of course the puppies have a thing or two to say about that. Hitch the hound has his leash and thinks he is gonna take me on a walk first:) Guess we'll have to take the pups on a walk before we start digging for gold. Time to check out the spring and let the puppies splash around.

We couldn't have asked for better weather. It's overcast out so Matt's white, Irish skin shouldn't burn today and it's about 60'degrees so it's like working in the a/c all day. Hopefully all the desert critters will slumber a little longer while the temps are cool.

So today we try out the 151 Keene dry washer for the first time. Matt is excited to move more material and see what this baby can do.

Today is filled with possibilities and potential... I'm standing at the base of a little waterfall. Hopefully just beyond this we will hit a nice patch of gold.

 

About 30min into our prospecting I heard Matt yelling, "Jenn, hurry, come here!" I came around the wash to find Matt grinning from ear to ear like a 5 year old boy...

Found us a nice picker just laying on the bedrock. I always wonder how long this little piece of gold has been sitting there, waiting on us to find it. If we are the first people to ever see it or hold it. Each piece of gold is so intricate and beautiful. They are like little snowflakes, infinitely unique and beautiful.